* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download Which Digital Marketing Tactics Provide Bang for Your
Targeted advertising wikipedia , lookup
Food marketing wikipedia , lookup
Marketing channel wikipedia , lookup
Social commerce wikipedia , lookup
Social media and television wikipedia , lookup
Target audience wikipedia , lookup
Marketing communications wikipedia , lookup
Affiliate marketing wikipedia , lookup
Marketing research wikipedia , lookup
Social media marketing wikipedia , lookup
Target market wikipedia , lookup
Multi-level marketing wikipedia , lookup
Integrated marketing communications wikipedia , lookup
Sports marketing wikipedia , lookup
Guerrilla marketing wikipedia , lookup
Marketing strategy wikipedia , lookup
Sensory branding wikipedia , lookup
Advertising campaign wikipedia , lookup
Marketing plan wikipedia , lookup
Ambush marketing wikipedia , lookup
Multicultural marketing wikipedia , lookup
Youth marketing wikipedia , lookup
Global marketing wikipedia , lookup
Viral marketing wikipedia , lookup
Marketing mix modeling wikipedia , lookup
Online advertising wikipedia , lookup
Green marketing wikipedia , lookup
Ad blocking wikipedia , lookup
Direct marketing wikipedia , lookup
REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS WEIGH IN: WHICH DIGITAL MARKETING TACTICS PROVIDE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK — AND WHICH ARE A BUST An Inman Select Special Report Inman Special Report exclusively for Inman Select members. Not a member? Join at inman.com/select Digital marketing is as elusive as it is vast. Organic strategies and paid digital marketing all blend together in the laundry list of trends, standbys and newbies — it’s not hard to get lost. The Internet’s pool of information is growing at lightning speed, and digital marketing is the key to becoming a floatation device among the sinking ships. Our special report found both that there’s both beauty and beast to digital marketing — because there really is no right or wrong answer, no end-all-be-all best solution. The best approach to digital marketing is to evaluate your situation, determine resources and sketch out a plan — then rinse and repeat. Inman conducted the survey between July 28 and August 26. It received 374 usable responses, 252 from respondents who identified themselves as agents, and 122 respondents who identified themselves as brokers. B “ logging, contributing authorship and Instagram combined have opened up doors to more leads and brand awareness than I ever could have imagined.” That’s what one respondent to Inman’s digital marketing survey said; the agent, who’s been working in real estate between 5 and 10 years, has a typical listing price of $500,000 to $1 million, closes between 15 and 20 transactions a year and estimated that 50 to 75 percent of his clients come from digital marketing efforts. Digital marketing is as elusive as it is vast. Organic strategies and paid digital marketing all blend together in the laundry list of trends, standbys and newbies — it’s not hard to get lost. But digital marketing isn’t something to take lightly. Real estate agents and brokers use these tactics to capture an audience, brand themselves and prove their ability to perform above and beyond anyone else in their respective market. The Internet’s pool of information is growing at lightning speed, and digital marketing is the key to Digital Marketing Survey becoming a flotation device among the sinking ships. Q9 What digital marketing tactics do you employ/have you employed? Please select all that apply. Answered: 333 Answer Choices Skipped: 41 Responses Maintaining/promoting a Facebook profile 79.28% 264 Email marketing 67.57% 225 Facebook ads 51.65% 172 Maintaining/promoting a Twitter profile 43.54% 145 Maintaining/promoting another social media profile 42.34% 141 YouTube/video 35.74% 119 Blogging 34.53% 115 Search engine optimization (SEO) 31.83% 106 Portal ads - Zillow 30.33% 101 Google Adwords 24.02% 80 Portal ads - Trulia 23.72% 79 Portal ads - realtor.com 23.12% 77 Retargeting ads 12.61% 42 Other online ads 12.31% 41 Brand consultants 11.11% 37 Contributed articles/content 11.11% 37 Display ads 7.21% 24 LinkedIn ads 4.50% 15 Portal ads - other 4.20% 14 Sweepstakes/promotions/giveaways 4.20% 14 Twitter ads 3.90% 13 PR agency 3.30% 11 Blog/podcast sponsorships 3.00% 10 Total Respondents: 333 ©Inman, 2015 3 Our special report found both that there’s both Our survey beauty and beast to digital marketing — because Inman News polled 374 respondents on their there really is no right or wrong answer, no end-allhabits, successes and failures in digital marketing. be-all best solution. The agent who got great results Feedback came from people who have been in from blogging and Instagram also said Facebook the business for less than a year to those in the ads were overrated, for example. business for more than 20 years. That’s why the best approach to digital marketing A mix of agents and brokers took part in is to evaluate your situation, determine resources documenting the best, the worst, the most and sketch out a plan — then rinse and repeat.Digital Marketing Survey Q10 What is the most effective digital marketing tactic you have used? (please check only one) Answered: 311 Answer Choices Responses Email marketing 21.22% 66 Maintaining/promoting a Facebook profile 16.40% 51 Portal ads - Zillow 9.97% 31 Facebook ads 9.32% 29 Google Adwords 5.79% 18 Search engine optimization (SEO) 5.14% 16 Portal ads - realtor.com 4.50% 14 Other organic traffic strategy 3.54% 11 Other paid traffic strategy 3.54% 11 Blogging 2.89% 9 Portal ads - Trulia 2.57% 8 YouTube/video 1.93% 6 Retargeting ads 1.93% 6 Maintaining/promoting another social media profile 1.61% 5 Display ads 1.61% 5 Maintaining/promoting a Twitter profile 1.29% 4 Blog/podcast sponsorships 1.29% 4 Portal ads - other 0.96% 3 Other online ads 0.96% 3 Contributed articles/content 0.96% 3 Sweepstakes/promotions/giveaways 0.96% 3 Brand consultants 0.64% 2 PR agency 0.64% 2 LinkedIn ads 0.32% 1 Twitter ads 0.00% 0 Total ©Inman, 2015 Skipped: 63 311 4 underrated and the most overrated digital marketing tactics based on their specific needs. Strategies and solutions Real estate agents and brokers have tried just about everything under the sun to market themselves better. When asked about what strategies were attempted, 79.28 percent said they managed and promoted their Facebook page, and 67.57 gave email marketing a shot. Of the total responses, paid advertising of any kind was marked off 616 times. Facebook ads were the most popular option of choice. The fewest number of respondents tried Twitter ads, using a PR agency and blog or podcast sponsorships. Only one respondent mentioned specifically using LinkedIn to market themselves, but 42.34 percent of respondents were in favor of managing a promoting a social media profile other than Facebook and Twitter. ©Inman, 2015 Paid advertising The world of digital ads is a vast one for real estate agents, but the most commonly used paid advertising was Google Adwords. And even Facebook advertising for real estate agents beat out Zillow, Trulia and realtor.com ads. Effectiveness showcased a similar breakdown, with Facebook ads nearing the top three most effective digital marketing strategies in general and the no. 1 best advertising tactic. Primary goals Almost half of survey respondents (48.72 percent) said their primary goal for their digital marketing efforts was to boost lead acquisition. Just over one-quarter (25.07 percent) wanted to build brand awareness. Among survey respondents who noted that boosting lead acquisition was the primary goal, maintaining or promoting a Facebook page was cited 5 as the most effective digital marketing tactic by 16.89 percent of respondents, followed closely by email marketing (16.22 percent). According to the survey results, 21.02 percent of respondents spent between 10 percent and 20 percent of their marketing budget on their primary goal. These individuals were mostly agents who have been in the business for 10 to 20 years. Building lead acquisition was the most important goal, and a majority of respondents who allocated between 10 and 20 percent of their marketing budget for their primary goal said they received up to 25 percent of their clients through the tactics. Hired help Almost half of respondents (47.40 percent) said they have never hired out contractors or consultants to help with digital marketing. Most respondents who did hire contractors or consultants to help with digital marketing (52 percent) hired those consultants to help with search engine optimization. One-quarter (25.6 percent) said they hired help for rebranding, and 17.6 percent said they hired help for managing Google Adwords or maintaining/promoting a Facebook profile. Most agents who opted to not hire help have been in the business for 10 to 20 years, although there were still a few respondents in the real estate business for less than one year who did marketing themselves. These individuals had target markets across the board, with a slight lean in favor of agents who work with first-time home buyers and homeowners moving up to larger homes. Nearly half of these independent marketers got up to 25 percent of their leads through the tactics they did on their own, and 6.85 percent said they got Among survey respondents who noted that boosting lead acquisition was the primary goal, maintaining or promoting a Facebook page was cited as the most effective digital marketing tactic by 16.89 percent of respondents, followed closely by email marketing (16.22 percent). ©Inman, 2015 6 Building lead acquisition was the most important goal, and a majority of respondents who allocated between 10 and 20 percent of their marketing budget for their primary goal said they received up to 25 percent of their clients through the tactics. between 75 and 100 percent of their leads through their efforts. And although these individuals responded that they didn’t hire out help, many still spent money on digital marketing. The majority of them paid out of their own pockets — 82.35 percent — and 5.88 percent of respondents who don’t hire out help for their digital How to build a successful digital marketing strategy No matter what the tactic respondents cited using, the overall consensus was that patience and authenticity were keys to finding success with digital marketing. “Apply what you do in real life to your online life. Networking, building relationships, creating a community, etc. Don’t feel like you’re behind because many are in the same boat,” one respondent wrote. Step one is to find one focus and “keep at it. Perseverance pays. Nobody has been at it for years. It hasn’t been around that long. Good attitude pays big.” Whether it’s building a Facebook presence, creating videos or marketing yourself on major portals like Zillow or ©Inman, 2015 realtor.com, pick one and go all-out. “Simplify, focus on one platform, showcase yourself and engage in conversation. Don’t make it all about you and your homes.” Show people who you are as a person and as a community member. Social media could help you introduce yourself to potential leads. If you have time to do it yourself, great — but don’t sweat it if you don’t. “Hire it out, but own your s*it,” one respondent wrote. Because it can be overwhelming, consider bringing in help when and where you need it. “There are companies out there that can take a look at what you are doing and give you suggestions,” wrote one respondent. “They can also put together a strategy for you so all you have to do is execute it! It’s hard to navigate through the digital marketing world so this might help give a struggling agent some guidance.” Be careful of the money you’re spending on outsourcing and working with consultants. “There’s no magic pill or easy solution — it takes time and sweat equity. Don’t believe the so-called experts who claim they can solve your lead gen challenge easily — there’s no shortcut.” The last piece of respondent advice? “Be consistent, stop overthinking it, be unique and don’t be afraid to just be yourself and stand out with your social profile.” 7 The most effective digital marketing tactics EMAIL MARKETING. It’s a way to stay in constant communication with new and old leads by sharing listing information, local market data and more. DIGITAL ADS. Zillow and Facebook ads came in neckand-neck as an effective tactic that got agents in front of their target audience. MAINTAINING AND PROMOTING A FACEBOOK PAGE. Enabling agents to show potential leads who they really are, Facebook profiles were consistently mentioned as an inexpensive option. VIDEOS. Fun, fresh and informative, videos and YouTube were listed as a great listing option as well as a way to work with local businesses. marketing said they pay more than $2,000 to $5,000 on digital marketing each month. Most effective tactics The most effective digital marketing tactic, according to respondents, was email marketing. It was cited as an easy and cost-efficient way to maintain contact with current sphere of influence as well as new leads. Agents also loved email marketing because of the ability to track its success. One respondent said, “One reason is that I can manage who and how many I am reaching with MailChimp… Unless someone picks up the phone and calls me directly from other strategies, I feel like I am shooting in the dark and hoping for the best.” Most respondents who did hire contractors or consultants to help with digital marketing (52 percent) hired those consultants to help with search engine optimization. One-quarter (25.6 percent) said they hired help for rebranding, and 17.6 percent said they hired help for managing Google Adwords or maintaining/promoting a Facebook profile. ©Inman, 2015 8 Digital Marketing Survey Q3 How would you describe your target market demographic? Select all that apply. Answered: 73 Skipped: 0 First-time homebuyers Homeowners moving up to... Homeowners scaling back... Homeowners purchasing... Luxury homebuyers 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Most agents who opted to not hire help have been in the business for 10 to 20 years, although there were still a few respondents in the real estate business for less than one year who did marketing themselves. These individuals Answer Choices Responses had target markets across the board, with a slight lean in favor of agents who work with first-time home buyers and 64.38% homeowners moving up to larger homes. First-time homebuyers 47 Homeowners moving up to larger homes 65.75% 48 Homeowners scaling back to smaller homes 46.58% 34 Survey respondents who said that more than half 28.77% 21 of their clients are obtained through digital marketing 38.36% 28 tactics were equally split between Facebook ads and blogging as the most effective tactic they use; 11.76 percent of respondents who get more than 50 percent of their clients through digital marketing cited Facebook ads and blogging as most effective. Zillow portal ads were just behind Facebook ads and blogging at 10.29 percent. “Blogging often (often is the key) keeps giving Google new original content to index which, in turn, boosts my website rank in the SERP which, in turn, gets me to a #1 ranking which, in turn, gets me more clicks which, in turn, gets more clients eyeballs on my site/brand/name which, in turn, keeps me ‘top of mind’ when they decide to buy or sell,” wrote one respondent, who focuses on luxury clients. Homeowners purchasing second homes or vacation homes The least effective digital Luxury homebuyers marketing tactics Total Respondents: 73 TWITTER. Real estate is a visual game. Several respondents noted that they found more success with Instagram than Twitter. PAID LEADS. You’re often up against a lot of competition, and you’re shelling out a lot of money to do So. NOT HAVING ENOUGH TIME AND REFUSING TO HIRE OUT. Organic lead conversion is successful with consistency, know-how and time. If you don’t have one of those three, find someone else that can help you. SPREADING YOURSELF TOO THIN. You’ve heard it’s a good idea to have a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, personal website and professional website? Start small and build. ©Inman, 2015 1/1 9 The majority of independent marketers paid out of their own pockets — 82.35 percent — and 5.88 percent of respondents who don’t hire out help for their digital marketing said they pay more than $2,000 to $5,000 on digital marketing each month. Top 8 digital marketing tips for agents BE YOURSELF. People can sense a phony from a mile away. Your online profile is the first thing most potential clients will see, make sure it is exclusively you. BE CONSISTENT. Your virtual brand, your social media publishing and your blogging should all be consistent so clients can find you and feel as if they know you. HIRE OUT WHEN NEEDED. You have a lot on your plate. Don’t be afraid to hire out work that you don’t have time to dedicate to, or that you simply aren’t stellar at — it’s OK. GET TO STUDYING. “Study leaders who have done it before you and piggyback off of their suggestions and style.” FIND A NICHE. “Specialize: find what works best for you and become an expert at it,” one respondent suggests. START SMALL AND ADD ON LATER. Take baby steps and start with one tactic. Maybe that’s building out your Facebook or Instagram account. Once you’ve mastered one tactic, build on with another. ©Inman, 2015 BE PATIENT. Marketing, especially organic tactics, don’t make an impact overnight. Keep at it. USE TECHNOLOGY IN YOUR FAVOR. Whether it’s a virtual social calendar or email marketing platform, utilize it to its highest capabilities for the biggest return. 10 Digital Marketing Survey Q10 What is the most effective digital marketing tactic you have used? (please check only one) Answered: 68 Skipped: 7 Answer Choices Responses Facebook ads 11.76% 8 Blogging 11.76% 8 Portal ads - Zillow 10.29% 7 Email marketing 8.82% 6 Maintaining/promoting a Facebook profile 8.82% 6 Google Adwords 8.82% 6 Search engine optimization (SEO) 8.82% 6 Other paid traffic strategy 5.88% 4 YouTube/video 4.41% 3 Other organic traffic strategy 4.41% 3 Brand consultants 2.94% 2 Portal ads - Trulia 2.94% 2 Portal ads - realtor.com 2.94% 2 Display ads 2.94% 2 Other online ads 1.47% 1 Blog/podcast sponsorships 1.47% 1 Contributed articles/content 1.47% 1 Maintaining/promoting a Twitter profile 0.00% 0 Maintaining/promoting another social media profile 0.00% 0 Twitter ads 0.00% 0 LinkedIn ads 0.00% 0 Portal ads - other 0.00% 0 PR agency 0.00% 0 Retargeting ads 0.00% 0 Sweepstakes/promotions/giveaways 0.00% 0 Total 68 Survey respondents who said that more than half of their clients are obtained through digital marketing tactics were equally split between Facebook ads and blogging as the most effective tactic they use; 11.76 percent of respondents who get more than 50 percent of their clients through digital marketing cited Facebook ads and blogging as most effective. Zillow portal ads were just behind Facebook ads and blogging at 10.29 percent. ©Inman, 2015 1/1 11 Digital Marketing Survey Q10 What is the most effective digital marketing tactic you have used? (please check only one) Answered: 177 Skipped: 27 Answer Choices Responses Maintaining/promoting a Facebook profile 20.90% 37 Email marketing 18.64% 33 Portal ads - Zillow 8.47% 15 Facebook ads 7.91% 14 Google Adwords 6.78% 12 Portal ads - realtor.com 5.08% 9 Search engine optimization (SEO) 4.52% 8 Other organic traffic strategy 3.95% 7 Blogging 3.39% 6 Other paid traffic strategy 3.39% 6 Portal ads - Trulia 2.26% 4 Maintaining/promoting a Twitter profile 1.69% 3 Portal ads - other 1.69% 3 YouTube/video 1.69% 3 Retargeting ads 1.69% 3 Sweepstakes/promotions/giveaways 1.69% 3 Maintaining/promoting another social media profile 1.13% 2 Other online ads 1.13% 2 Display ads 1.13% 2 Blog/podcast sponsorships 1.13% 2 Brand consultants 0.56% 1 Contributed articles/content 0.56% 1 PR agency 0.56% 1 Twitter ads 0.00% 0 LinkedIn ads 0.00% 0 Total 177 Among the top-producing real estate agents, blogging was considered the most underrated digital marketing strategy, followed by other organic search engine tactics and email marketing. One respondent said that they felt blogging was beneficial because fewer than five agents in his market blogged with original content three to five times a week. About 58 percent of respondents said they did their own blogging. ©Inman, 2015 1/1 12 The blogger also said that between 75 percent and 100 percent of her clients are found via digital marketing tactics. “See, blogging is like climbing Mt. Everest, very, very difficult to do but when you reach the top, it all becomes worth the challenge,” she added. Email marketing and blogging at work In terms of return on investment (ROI), 39.66 percent of respondents who said email marketing was the most effective tactic said it had more than a 1:5 ROI ratio. Among the top-producing real estate agents, blogging was considered the most underrated digital marketing strategy, followed by other organic search engine tactics and email marketing. One respondent said that they felt blogging was beneficial because fewer than five agents in his market blogged with original content three to five times a week. About 58 percent of respondents said they did their own blogging. One respondent who said blogging is the most effective tactic said, “I write about real life issues and do it in a manner that is not ‘boilerplate’ nonsense like that generated by NAR or any of those companies that ‘write’ for you. What I write is candid and pointed, and it attracts clients that appreciate that approach.” Agents who worked primarily with high-end luxury clients also found email marketing to be an ideal digital marketing tactic. Ranked just higher than Google Adwords and display ads, email marketing was considered the most effective by 33.33 percent of high-producing agents. The average agent — those whose average listing price fell between $200,000 and $500,000 — said the top two most important digital marketing tactics were maintaining a Facebook profile (20.90 percent) and email marketing (18.64 percent). Several respondents noted the complete lack of success in any digital marketing strategy. ©Inman, 2015 13 Agents who worked primarily with high-end luxury clients also found email marketing to be an ideal digital marketing tactic. Ranked just higher than Google Adwords and display ads, email marketing was considered the most effective by 33.33 percent of high-producing agents. Social media and portal ads YouTube and Instagram made a decent appearance as an effective digital marketing tactic as well. Noting that they are both inexpensive and highly visual, one respondent said, “I think video is the way of the future… YouTube is and will continue to be a great source to promote yourself and your listings through video content.” Agents in all target markets noted Zillow portal ads as the no. 1 most overrated digital marketing strategy. Of all respondents, 15.48 percent said Zillow ads are not worth it, and 71.88 percent of those respondents said Zillow ads yielded less than a 1:1 return. their “real” self and do whatever makes them comfortable. Trends show that different tactics worked effectively for different agents, and the amount of time and work an agent is willing to put in dramatically shifts the success rate of each tactic. “Narrow your scope,” advised one respondent. “Pick ONE area to excel and then pick up more; don’t try to do it all at once.” The expert voice Respondents who ranked themselves as experts in digital marketing were primarily in the business for at least five years. Servicing a broad spectrum of individuals, 36.84 percent of these agents and brokers turned more than 30 transactions in a year. Successful digital marketing agents overwhelmingly suggested that others be consistent, use marketing resources to show potential clients ©Inman, 2015 14 Subscribe to Select and make sure you don’t miss out on the news, research and insight that will keep you ahead of the competition. Plus, you can download our previous research reports immediately, all included in your membership: •Special Report: Why and how real estate needs to clean house (Aug. 13, 2015) •Special Report: How hybrid brokerages are changing real estate (Jul. 16, 2015) •Special Report: Which CRM is the best? (May 29, 2015) •Special Report: Real estate coaching’s payoff (May 25, 2015) And more! SIGN UP TODAY Act now and save 25% off an annual Select subscription when you use the code report3 at checkout. Full Survey Results *Some open ended questions removed for clarity Digital Marketing Survey Q1 I have been working in the real estate industry for: Answered: 374 Skipped: 0 Less than 1 year 1-5 years 5-10 years 10-20 years More than 20 years 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Answer Choices 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Responses Less than 1 year 10.96% 41 1-5 years 21.93% 82 5-10 years 18.98% 71 10-20 years 32.62% 122 More than 20 years 15.51% 58 Total 374 1 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Q2 I am a(n): Answered: 374 Skipped: 0 Agent Broker 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Answer Choices 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Responses Agent 67.38% 252 Broker 32.62% 122 Total 374 2 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Q3 How would you describe your target market demographic? Select all that apply. Answered: 365 Skipped: 9 First-time homebuyers Homeowners moving up to... Homeowners scaling back... Homeowners purchasing... Luxury homebuyers 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Answer Choices 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Responses First-time homebuyers 61.37% 224 Homeowners moving up to larger homes 73.70% 269 Homeowners scaling back to smaller homes 44.38% 162 Homeowners purchasing second homes or vacation homes 31.23% 114 Luxury homebuyers 36.44% 133 Total Respondents: 365 3 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Q4 What's your average selling price? Answered: 365 Skipped: 9 Less than $100,000 $100,000-$200,0 00 $200,000-$300,0 00 $300,000-$400,0 00 $400,000-$500,0 00 $500,000-$1 million More than $1 million but... More than $5 million but... More than $10 million 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Answer Choices 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Responses Less than $100,000 1.37% 5 $100,000-$200,000 14.52% 53 $200,000-$300,000 26.85% 98 $300,000-$400,000 14.25% 52 $400,000-$500,000 14.79% 54 $500,000-$1 million 19.18% 70 More than $1 million but less than $5 million 7.40% 27 More than $5 million but less than $10 million 0.82% 3 More than $10 million 0.82% 3 Total 365 4 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Q5 How many transactions do you close a year? Answered: 355 Skipped: 19 1-5 5-10 10-15 15-20 20-25 25-30 30+ 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Answer Choices 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Responses 1-5 11.55% 41 5-10 14.08% 50 10-15 16.06% 57 15-20 12.68% 45 20-25 9.86% 35 25-30 10.70% 38 30+ 25.07% 89 Total 355 5 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Q6 What percentage of your clients do you obtain through digital marketing tactics? Answered: 355 Skipped: 19 1-25 percent 25-50 percent 50-75 percent 75-100 percent 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Answer Choices 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Responses 1-25 percent 56.34% 200 25-50 percent 22.54% 80 50-75 percent 12.68% 45 75-100 percent 8.45% 30 Total 355 6 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Q7 What’s your primary goal for your digital marketing efforts? Answered: 351 Skipped: 23 Building brand awareness Boosting lead acquisition Increasing lead conversion Improving client... 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Answer Choices 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Responses Building brand awareness 25.07% 88 Boosting lead acquisition 48.72% 171 Increasing lead conversion 19.09% 67 Improving client retention 7.12% 25 Total 351 7 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Q8 What percentage of your marketing budget do you allocate to your primary marketing goal? Answered: 333 Skipped: 41 10 percent to 20 percent Less than 10 percent 20 percent to 30 percent 40 percent to 50 percent 30 percent to 40 percent 50 percent to 60 percent 70 percent to 80 percent 60 percent to 70 percent 80 percent to 90 percent More than 90 percent 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Answer Choices 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Responses 10 percent to 20 percent 21.02% 70 Less than 10 percent 18.32% 61 20 percent to 30 percent 13.21% 44 40 percent to 50 percent 7.81% 26 30 percent to 40 percent 7.51% 25 50 percent to 60 percent 7.51% 25 70 percent to 80 percent 7.21% 24 60 percent to 70 percent 6.31% 21 80 percent to 90 percent 6.01% 20 More than 90 percent 5.11% 17 8 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Total 333 9 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Q9 What digital marketing tactics do you employ/have you employed? Please select all that apply. Answered: 333 Skipped: 41 Answer Choices Responses Maintaining/promoting a Facebook profile 79.28% 264 Email marketing 67.57% 225 Facebook ads 51.65% 172 Maintaining/promoting a Twitter profile 43.54% 145 Maintaining/promoting another social media profile 42.34% 141 YouTube/video 35.74% 119 Blogging 34.53% 115 Search engine optimization (SEO) 31.83% 106 Portal ads - Zillow 30.33% 101 Google Adwords 24.02% 80 Portal ads - Trulia 23.72% 79 Portal ads - realtor.com 23.12% 77 Retargeting ads 12.61% 42 Other online ads 12.31% 41 Brand consultants 11.11% 37 Contributed articles/content 11.11% 37 Display ads 7.21% 24 LinkedIn ads 4.50% 15 Portal ads - other 4.20% 14 Sweepstakes/promotions/giveaways 4.20% 14 Twitter ads 3.90% 13 PR agency 3.30% 11 Blog/podcast sponsorships 3.00% 10 Total Respondents: 333 10 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Q10 What is the most effective digital marketing tactic you have used? (please check only one) Answered: 311 Skipped: 63 Answer Choices Responses Email marketing 21.22% 66 Maintaining/promoting a Facebook profile 16.40% 51 Portal ads - Zillow 9.97% 31 Facebook ads 9.32% 29 Google Adwords 5.79% 18 Search engine optimization (SEO) 5.14% 16 Portal ads - realtor.com 4.50% 14 Other organic traffic strategy 3.54% 11 Other paid traffic strategy 3.54% 11 Blogging 2.89% 9 Portal ads - Trulia 2.57% 8 YouTube/video 1.93% 6 Retargeting ads 1.93% 6 Maintaining/promoting another social media profile 1.61% 5 Display ads 1.61% 5 Maintaining/promoting a Twitter profile 1.29% 4 Blog/podcast sponsorships 1.29% 4 Portal ads - other 0.96% 3 Other online ads 0.96% 3 Contributed articles/content 0.96% 3 Sweepstakes/promotions/giveaways 0.96% 3 Brand consultants 0.64% 2 PR agency 0.64% 2 LinkedIn ads 0.32% 1 Twitter ads 0.00% 0 Total 311 11 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Q12 What was the ROI for this tactic? Answered: 249 Skipped: 125 Less than 1:1 1:1 1:1.5 1:2 1:2.5 1:3 1:3.5 1:4 1:4.5 1:5 More than 1:5 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Answer Choices 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Responses Less than 1:1 14.06% 35 1:1 5.62% 14 1:1.5 1.61% 4 1:2 10.44% 26 1:2.5 5.62% 14 1:3 7.23% 18 1:3.5 4.02% 10 1:4 8.84% 22 1:4.5 3.21% 8 1:5 4.42% 11 13 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey 34.94% More than 1:5 Total 87 249 14 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Q13 In your opinion, what is the most overrated digital marketing strategy? Please select just one. Answered: 239 Skipped: 135 Answer Choices Responses Portal ads - Zillow 15.48% 37 Google Adwords 7.11% 17 Brand consultants 6.69% 16 Display ads 6.69% 16 Search engine optimization (SEO) 6.28% 15 Sweepstakes/promotions/giveaways 5.44% 13 PR agency 5.02% 12 Email marketing 4.60% 11 Blogging 4.60% 11 Other paid traffic strategy 4.60% 11 Facebook ads 4.18% 10 Portal ads - Trulia 4.18% 10 Maintaining/promoting a Facebook profile 3.77% 9 Maintaining/promoting a Twitter profile 3.35% 8 Maintaining/promoting another social media profile 2.51% 6 Portal ads - realtor.com 2.51% 6 Twitter ads 2.09% 5 Blog/podcast sponsorships 2.09% 5 LinkedIn ads 1.67% 4 Other organic traffic strategy 1.67% 4 Portal ads - other 1.26% 3 YouTube/video 1.26% 3 Contributed articles/content 1.26% 3 Other online ads 0.84% 2 Retargeting ads 0.84% 2 Total 239 15 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Q15 What was the ROI for this tactic? Answered: 210 Skipped: 164 Less than 1:1 1:1 1:1.5 1:2 1:2.5 1:3 1:3.5 1:4 1:4.5 1:5 More than 1:5 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Answer Choices 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Responses Less than 1:1 73.33% 1:1 4.29% 9 1:1.5 1.43% 3 1:2 2.86% 6 1:2.5 0.95% 2 1:3 1.43% 3 1:3.5 0.95% 2 1:4 3.33% 7 1:4.5 2.86% 6 1:5 0.95% 2 17 / 44 154 Digital Marketing Survey 7.62% More than 1:5 Total 16 210 18 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Q16 In your opinion, which is the most underrated digital marketing strategy? Answered: 182 Skipped: 192 Answer Choices Responses Facebook ads 12.64% 23 Email marketing 12.09% 22 Blogging 9.34% 17 YouTube/video 9.34% 17 Maintaining/promoting a Facebook profile 7.14% 13 Search engine optimization (SEO) 6.04% 11 Other paid traffic strategy 5.49% 10 Other organic traffic strategy 4.95% 9 Brand consultants 4.40% 8 Maintaining/promoting another social media profile 3.85% 7 Google Adwords 3.30% 6 Retargeting ads 3.30% 6 Portal ads - realtor.com 2.75% 5 PR agency 2.75% 5 Contributed articles/content 2.20% 4 Maintaining/promoting a Twitter profile 1.65% 3 Portal ads - Zillow 1.65% 3 Portal ads - other 1.65% 3 Other online ads 1.65% 3 Twitter ads 1.10% 2 Blog/podcast sponsorships 1.10% 2 LinkedIn ads 0.55% 1 Display ads 0.55% 1 Sweepstakes/promotions/giveaways 0.55% 1 Portal ads - Trulia 0.00% 0 Total 182 19 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Q18 For every dollar ($1) you spent on this tactic, how many did you get back? Answered: 166 Skipped: 208 Less than $1 $1 $1.50 $2 $2.50 $3 $3.50 $4 $4.50 $5 Between $5 and $10 More than $10 but less tha... More than $20 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Answer Choices 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Responses Less than $1 15.06% 25 $1 6.63% 11 $1.50 3.61% 6 $2 6.02% 10 $2.50 2.41% 4 21 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey $3 7.23% 12 $3.50 1.81% 3 $4 1.20% 2 $4.50 1.81% 3 $5 4.82% 8 Between $5 and $10 15.66% 26 More than $10 but less than $20 5.42% 9 More than $20 28.31% 47 Total 166 22 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Q19 Have you deployed any of these digital marketing strategies on your own, without any hired help? Select all that apply. Answered: 154 Skipped: 220 Answer Choices Responses I have not deployed any of these strategies myself. 9.09% 14 Branding or rebranding 37.01% 57 Email marketing 61.69% 95 Maintaining/promoting a Facebook profile 71.43% 110 Maintaining/promoting a Twitter profile 45.45% 70 Maintaining/promoting another social media profile 44.16% 68 Google Adwords 25.97% 40 Facebook ads 44.81% 69 Twitter ads 5.84% 9 LinkedIn ads 3.90% 6 Portal ads - Zillow 29.87% 46 Portal ads - Trulia 20.78% 32 Portal ads - realtor.com 20.13% 31 Portal ads - other 7.14% 11 Other online ads 7.79% 12 Display ads 8.44% 13 Blog/podcast sponsorships 5.19% 8 Blogging 40.91% 63 YouTube/video 42.21% 65 Contributed articles/content 14.29% 22 PR agency 1.95% 3 Search engine optimization (SEO) 22.08% 34 Retargeting ads 10.39% 16 Sweepstakes/promotions/giveaways 6.49% 10 Total Respondents: 154 23 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Q20 Have you hired consultants or contractors to help with any of these marketing activities? Select all that apply. Answered: 154 Skipped: 220 Answer Choices Responses I have never hired consultants or contractors to help with digital marketing. 47.40% 73 Search engine optimization (SEO) 22.73% 35 Branding or rebranding 20.78% 32 Maintaining/promoting a Facebook profile 14.29% 22 Google Adwords 14.29% 22 Retargeting ads 11.69% 18 Email marketing 10.39% 16 Blogging 10.39% 16 Facebook ads 9.74% 15 Maintaining/promoting a Twitter profile 9.09% 14 Maintaining/promoting another social media profile 8.44% 13 Portal ads - Zillow 8.44% 13 YouTube/video 7.79% 12 Portal ads - Trulia 6.49% 10 PR agency 6.49% 10 Portal ads - realtor.com 5.19% 8 Portal ads - other 4.55% 7 Display ads 3.25% 5 LinkedIn ads 2.60% 4 Twitter ads 1.95% 3 Other online ads 1.95% 3 Blog/podcast sponsorships 1.30% 2 Contributed articles/content 1.30% 2 Sweepstakes/promotions/giveaways 1.30% 2 Total Respondents: 154 24 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Q21 How much do you spend on digital marketing software and platforms each month? Answered: 146 I don't spend money on... 13.70% I spend some money, but l... 14.38% Skipped: 228 8.22% $50-$100 13.01% $100-$200 18.49% $200-$500 13.01% $500-$1,000 9.59% $1,000-$2,000 6.16% $2,000-$5,000 3.42% $5,000+ 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Answer Choices 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Responses I don't spend money on digital marketing software and platforms 13.70% 20 I spend some money, but less than $50 14.38% 21 $50-$100 8.22% 12 $100-$200 13.01% 19 $200-$500 18.49% 27 $500-$1,000 13.01% 19 $1,000-$2,000 9.59% 14 $2,000-$5,000 6.16% 9 $5,000+ 3.42% 5 Total 146 25 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Q22 How much do you spend on digital marketing contractors or consultants each month? Answered: 146 Skipped: 228 I don't spend money on... I spend some money, but l... $50-$100 $100-$200 $200-$500 $500-$1,000 $1,000-$2,000 $2,000-$5,000 $5,000+ 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Answer Choices 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Responses I don't spend money on digital marketing contractors or consultants 62.33% 91 I spend some money, but less than $50 5.48% 8 $50-$100 6.16% 9 $100-$200 4.79% 7 $200-$500 8.22% 12 $500-$1,000 5.48% 8 $1,000-$2,000 3.42% 5 $2,000-$5,000 6.85% 10 $5,000+ 2.05% 3 Total Respondents: 146 26 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Q23 Who pays for your digital marketing? Answered: 146 Skipped: 228 I pay for it all myself. My brokerage pays for a... I pay a portion of m... My brokerage pays for all... 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Answer Choices 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Responses I pay for it all myself. 78.77% My brokerage pays for a portion of my digital marketing costs, but I pay for most of them. 9.59% 14 I pay a portion of my digital marketing costs, but my brokerage pays for most of them. 5.48% 8 My brokerage pays for all of it. 6.16% 9 Total 115 146 27 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Q24 If you pay all/a portion, what services does your brokerage provide and what services do you decide to invest in? Answered: 21 Skipped: 353 Answer Choices Responses I pay for brand consultants 9.52% 2 I pay for email marketing 28.57% 6 I pay for maintaining/promoting a Facebook profile 42.86% 9 I pay for maintaining/promoting a Twitter profile 19.05% 4 I pay for maintaining/promoting another social media profile 23.81% 5 I pay for Google Adwords 9.52% 2 I pay for Facebook ads 38.10% 8 I pay for Twitter ads 4.76% 1 I pay for LinkedIn ads 0.00% 0 I pay for portal ads 9.52% 2 I pay for online ads elsewhere 4.76% 1 I pay for display ads 9.52% 2 I pay for blog/podcast sponsorships 4.76% 1 I pay for blogging 14.29% 3 I pay for YouTube/video 14.29% 3 I pay for contributed articles/content 4.76% 1 I pay for a PR agency 0.00% 0 I pay for search engine optimization (SEO) 9.52% 2 I pay for retargeting ads 4.76% 1 I pay for sweepstakes/promotions/giveaways 4.76% 1 I pay for another organic traffic strategy 4.76% 1 I pay for another paid traffic strategy 4.76% 1 My brokerage pays for brand consultants 23.81% 5 My brokerage pays for email marketing 38.10% 8 My brokerage pays for maintaining/promoting a Facebook profile 14.29% 3 My brokerage pays for maintaining/promoting a Twitter profile 9.52% 2 My brokerage pays for maintaining/promoting another social media profile 4.76% 1 14.29% 3 23.81% 5 My brokerage pays for Google Adwords My brokerage pays for Facebook ads 28 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey My brokerage pays for Twitter ads 0.00% 0 My brokerage pays for LinkedIn ads 0.00% 0 My brokerage pays for online ads portal ads 0.00% 0 My brokerage pays for online ads elsewhere 9.52% 2 My brokerage pays for online ads display ads 0.00% 0 My brokerage pays for blog/Podcast sponsorships 4.76% 1 My brokerage pays for blogging 14.29% 3 My brokerage pays for YouTube/Video 9.52% 2 My brokerage pays for contributed articles/content 4.76% 1 My brokerage pays for a PR agency 9.52% 2 My brokerage pays for search engine optimization (SEO) 23.81% 5 My brokerage pays for retargeting ads 14.29% 3 My brokerage pays for sweepstakes/promotions/giveaways 4.76% 1 My brokerage pays for another organic traffic strategy 19.05% 4 My brokerage pays for another paid traffic strategy 19.05% 4 Total Respondents: 21 29 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Q27 Do you pair digital marketing with traditional marketing? Please select all that apply Answered: 144 Skipped: 230 Yes, print marketing Yes, radio marketing Yes, television... Yes, outdoor advertising Yes, another form of... No, I do not pair digital... 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Answer Choices 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Responses Yes, print marketing 65.28% 94 Yes, radio marketing 3.47% 5 Yes, television marketing 2.78% 4 Yes, outdoor advertising 5.56% 8 Yes, another form of traditional marketing 14.58% 21 No, I do not pair digital marketing with traditional marketing 30.56% 44 Total Respondents: 144 32 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Q29 Do you do any/all of your digital marketing yourself? Answered: 142 Skipped: 232 I do all of my digital... I do some of my digital... I don't do any of my own... 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Answer Choices 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Responses I do all of my digital marketing myself. 58.45% 83 I do some of my digital marketing myself. 28.87% 41 I don't do any of my own digital marketing. 12.68% 18 Total 142 34 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Q31 On a scale of 1 to 10, rate your digital marketing expertise, with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest. Answered: 137 Skipped: 237 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Answer Choices 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Responses 1 5.84% 8 2 6.57% 9 3 8.76% 12 4 14.60% 20 5 15.33% 21 6 4.38% 6 7 16.79% 23 8 13.87% 19 9 8.76% 12 10 5.11% 7 36 / 44 Digital Marketing Survey Total 137 37 / 44